Why is it in the News?

The Henley Passport Index, which ranks the world’s most travel-friendly passports, has released its list for 2024, with European nations of France, Germany, Italy and Spain, and Asia’s Japan and Singapore sharing the number one spot.

Highlights of Henley Passport Index 2024:

• The Henley Passport Index for 2024 ranks different passports according to the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa or can avail of a visa on arrival, a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) on entering the destination.
• The rankings are based on the analysis of data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• It then provides a ‘Visa-free score’ which, essentially, is the number of destinations that the holders of that particular passport can travel to without a prior visa or can avail of a visa on arrival or other similar permits.
• For instance, those holding the passports of the countries in the #1 spot had access to 194 visa-free destinations while those holding the Afghanistan passport ranked last at #104, had visa-free access to only 28 of them.
• As per the latest rankings, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain hold the top spot as the world's most powerful passports, allowing visa-free entry to 194 global destinations.
• Finland, Sweden and South Korea shared the second rank, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Netherlands occupied the third spot.
• India, meanwhile, has improved its ranking and moved up to the 80th position from the previous year’s ranking of 84.
• Those holding an Indian passport have visa-free access to 62 destinations.
• World’s least powerful passports:
• Afghanistan (Score: 28) - visa-free access to only 28 destinations
• Syria (Score: 29) - visa-free access to only 29 destinations
• Iraq (Score: 31) - visa-free access to only 31 destinations
• Pakistan ( (Score: 34) - visa-free access to only 34 destinations

About Henley Passport Index:

• The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
• The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the largest, most accurate travel information database – and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team.
• It started in 2006 as the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI).
• The Henley Passport Index compares the visa-free access of 199 different passports to 227 travel destinations.